* Sep 2015: Lazio boss Stefano Pioli's assessment: "Biglia is a special player in terms of tactics, technique, and presence. He gives us something extra".

* 10 injuries in the last two seasons, including three separate injuries this season (14 games missed).

Over the last two seasons, Biglia has made practically the same number appearances as Lucas Leiva, which suggests that in fitness terms, he's not a significant upgrade on the Brazilian. On the attacking front, however, the Argentine is a clear upgrade on Lucas, and as Lazio's captain, he is a bona-fide leader, something that Liverpool desperately need.

It's doubtful that FSG will sanction anywhere close to £25m for a player with a suspect injury history who just turned 30, but as part of a swap deal (Balotelli + £12m, for example), the deal suddenly looks a lot more attractive.

Of course, this presupposes that Lazio actually want to sign Balotelli, and value him in the £10m-£12m range (unlikely given his career decline over the last year).